We are on a tight budget and I plan out each meal for the week before we go shopping so that we only buy what we need and don't waste anything. I tend to make the same handful of things, which we like but I could use some new recipes to throw into the mix. We eat mostly vegetarian, but we do salmon once a week and chicken maybe twice a month. We love mexican and lots of VEGGIES. Here is what I usually do, I would love ideas for other things.

At the end of the week, I make a crustless quiche filled with whatever veggies, cheese, nuts, and beans we have leftover from the week. You could use your salmon and chicken, too! Make a couple and freeze one or have it cold for breakfast the next morning.

How about soups? Minestrone, vegetable soup, vegetarian chilis. For that Mexican flavor, try black bean soup or tortilla lime soup (with or without chicken, it's very good! Do a google for the recipe. You put tortilla strips or chips, and cheese and avocado on top. ).

How about lentils -- dahl, lentil soup, cold lentil salads, curried lentils? They're inexpensive and good for you and versatile.

Curries or other Indian dishes with vegetables.

Moroccan-style stews with chicken (if you wish), tons of vegetables, chickpeas, raisins, etc. Again, Google will give you lots of recipes for this. I usually make mine up. They're filling and cheap.

Last but not least, my infamous sweet-potato-black bean stew. Reposting the instructions here:

So basically, it's diced sweet potatoes, black beans (either canned or previously cooked and drained), onion, green pepper, garlic, canned diced tomatoes and/or tomato paste, cumin, a little chipotle chili, chili powder. Add water if necessary to make it sufficiently "soupy" for your tastes, and simmer everything together until the potatoes are tender and the liquid thickened and reduced somewhat. Taste and adjust seasonings, and serve over brown or white rice. Pretty simple, and quick -- it only takes 10-15 minutes depending on how big your potato chunks are.

thanks everyone. I like the idea of using whats left in the fridge to throw something together. Your recipes sound great : We live right down the road from an organic farm, so I am starting to go there now that things are growing. It is giving me new ideas because I am buying whatever produce was ready that week...for instance this week it was snow peas, and spinach. This is helping me break out of my box, in terms of just going to the store and grabbing the same things I always do. Plus this local produce is unbelieveably GOOD.

I make lots of big pots of stew/soups. My favorites are minestrone, split pea, lentil, and chili (I've also substituted the meat with TVP and it came out really good). Each pot makes about 10-12 meals for 8 bucks or so. Sometimes I use meat, sometimes not depending on what we have. Beans/lentils really stretch our budget! I get them organic and in bulk from the health food store.

You can mix this crust by hand if you want, but I use my Kitchenaid mixer attachment and then use the kneading hook after everything is mixed.

Makes two pizzas

In large mixing bowl (or mixer bowl), mix
1 T. yeast (I use Hodgson's or Rapunzel since some yeast is GMO I think)
1 C. warm water (105-110 degrees)
Stir
Add 1 T. cold press olive oil
Stir
In separate bowl, stir together 2 1/2 cups unbleached flour (or you can mix 1 c. unbleached with 1/3 cup ww flour) with 1 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of salt.
Add dry ingredients to mixer bowl and stir. Knead by hand or using hook attachment on mixer until dough is smooth and elastic.
Brush a large bowl with olive oil and put dough in, turning to coat. Cover with towel and set in oven with oven light on OR on stovetop with the oven on. Allow to rise, usually takes 30-45 minutes.

Separate dough into two halves and roll onto pizza stone or pan (grease with butter or olive oil). Coat with pizza sauce, cheese and desired toppings. Bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees for approx 10 min (this will vary widely according to your oven), until cheese is melted and bubbly and crust is crispy and golden.

I make this pizza for all my friends during their babymoon and for my family frequently and I'm told it's the best pizza in town.